This invention relates generally to vehicle safety devices and, more particularly, to a safety alert system that alerts a driver of a vehicle regarding real time hazards that are in the near vicinity of the driver's vehicle.
Tragic news stories are heard frequently including traffic accidents involving children being hit by an automobile when walking to or away from a school bus, a car being struck while crossing train tracks unaware of an oncoming train, cars being struck by a snow plow during a snow storm, cars involved in accidents with an ambulance or other emergency vehicle. Many of these tragic accidents could have been avoided if only the drivers of respective automobiles had more advance warning in real time, i.e. at the exact moment they were driving in an area in which a potential hazard is present. For example, a car that gets struck by a train while crossing a set of train tracks could have avoided the accident if the driver of the car had been given advance warning. Similarly, an accident between a car and, say, an ambulance, fire truck, or police car could be avoided if the car had better real time warnings of the close proximity of the emergency vehicle. Still further, a child struck by an automobile after exiting a school bus could have been saved if drivers approaching the loaded bus would have been clearly alerted about a stopping or completely stopped school bus. In addition, occupants of a vehicle could be rescued faster if their vehicle was able to automatically call for help when involved in an accident.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a vehicle safety alert system for monitoring and alerting of potential hazards proximate a traveling vehicle. Further, it would be desirable to have a vehicle safety alert system that alerts drivers proximate to a hazard in real time, i.e. at the very time the potential hazard is present. Still further, it would be desirable to have a vehicle safety alert system having an alert module configured for installation in private vehicles as well as in vehicles that could be a “potential hazard”—such as a school bus, train, ambulance, etc—so that drivers proximate a hazard may be alerted and the user of the alert module can proactively send alerts. In addition, it would be desirable to have a vehicle safety alert system having an alert module that may be interfaced with a vehicle's on-board computer to send its own alert message if the vehicle is involved in a crash.